Splash pads in Delaware, Ohio

Alum Creek State Park is where Columbus families come for a full-day water adventure, and the children's spray play is the ideal warm-up before the sandy beach. Toddlers love the gentle ground sprays and the swim beach has a roped-off shallow zone for early swimmers. Free parking is huge but fills on summer weekends — arrive before 10am. Restrooms and changing facilities are seasonal but clean. Parent gotcha: the spray area is small and not the main draw, so set expectations as the appetizer to the beach main course. Pack a cooler and stay all day. Central Ohio's best beach-day combo.